What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beatles: The BBC Archives
A carefully curated collection of the surviving transcripts of the Beatles’ appearances on BBC Radio and Television from 1962 to 1970, featuring commentary from author and Beatles expert Kevin Howlett and rare photographs and memorabilia from the BBC.
The year 2013 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ first album, Please, Please Me. To celebrate this event with material that has never been in print or has not repeatedly resurfaced is a challenge. But a great deal of both—namely, never-before-seen BBC transcripts, historical documents, and rare photos—will be the main thrust of the book The The BBC Archives. Not since The Beatles’ Anthology of 2000 has a work of this magnitude been offered.
Author Kevin Howlett delves into the BBC television and radio archives and draws on previously unpublished transcripts of interviews, as well as personal reminiscences from presenters, producers, and studio staff to reveal the creative and personal evolution of the band—from the witty, irreverent foursome of the early sixties, to the more reflective and confessional individuals before the split at the end of the decade. Each chapter details a full year in the life of the band and is introduced with an engaging text by Howlett that puts the following material into historical context. The book features rare photos of the Fab Four at the BBCs studios, both onstage and off, and eight removables documents of historical merit, direct from the BBC archive itself.
This is the story of two of Britain’s most important cultural forces in tandem . . . word for word, event by event, as it happened with verbatim, unabridged transcripts. This has never been offered to reader before; it is a significant publishing event.
The year 2013 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ first album, Please, Please Me. To celebrate this event with material that has never been in print or has not repeatedly resurfaced is a challenge. But a great deal of both—namely, never-before-seen BBC transcripts, historical documents, and rare photos—will be the main thrust of the book The The BBC Archives. Not since The Beatles’ Anthology of 2000 has a work of this magnitude been offered.
Author Kevin Howlett delves into the BBC television and radio archives and draws on previously unpublished transcripts of interviews, as well as personal reminiscences from presenters, producers, and studio staff to reveal the creative and personal evolution of the band—from the witty, irreverent foursome of the early sixties, to the more reflective and confessional individuals before the split at the end of the decade. Each chapter details a full year in the life of the band and is introduced with an engaging text by Howlett that puts the following material into historical context. The book features rare photos of the Fab Four at the BBCs studios, both onstage and off, and eight removables documents of historical merit, direct from the BBC archive itself.
This is the story of two of Britain’s most important cultural forces in tandem . . . word for word, event by event, as it happened with verbatim, unabridged transcripts. This has never been offered to reader before; it is a significant publishing event.
584 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2013
100 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2015
This book weighs 20# and is far too heavy to hold and read. The review is based on the lovely pictures and memories those pics provoked.
Read
April 17, 2014Deserves a place on the narrow shelf of absolutely essential books about The Beatles.
February 21, 2021
Honestly, I’m not that big a Beatles fan. I love them but in that sort of way that I think a large portion of society does: for doing to music what Hitchcock did to film and within a decade. But, for my mad prog project, I have been looking at visually arresting music books and this really is that. A gorgeous artefact put together with love and enormously helpful for my book
As for the book itself - because it’s remit is very focussed to the band through the prism of the BBC, Howlett really just has to place the extracts in historical context with very little room to waffle on into cliches or try and “shock” us by being contrary. No, all he has to do is explain what the situation for the interview is and then publish it
Because these are often verbatim, the book can at times be tough going - as to be expected when you’re reading the words of exhausted and very young musicians still obviously slightly in shock about their sudden world dominance. They can be very funny but also sometimes repeat themselves as you can expect. But it’s that reportage which makes the book so interesting, because it shows a lot more about the culture of the era than you would expect. The Beatles obviously are very fond of Alan Freeman and Brian Matthews, more relaxed around Kenny Everett and particularly open with their old school friend. They’re never anything less than polite but their varying tones in interviews very much gives an idea of society at the time
As, indeed, does the viewer comments. As a sociological record of the BBC trying to catch up with the sudden mass mobilisation of youth movements it’s fascinating, but so are the records of viewers trying to work out what the hell these hairy young men are doing on the radio and TV so much. Because these are not always fans, you get far more of a sense of a society trying to work out how this explosion of youth fits into their world view. It’s almost like Mass Observation
The other great thing about it is how often George Harrison must have squirrelled away minor moments of TV or Beatles interviews for the Rutles. I had no idea Ringo had wanted to be a hairdresser, so Barry Wom feels far more warm a portrait now. Similarly the press conference/ interviews about Epstein’s death are almost 90% the similar moments about Leggy Mountbatten. I love that George probably knew exactly the best moments to pass on to Idle and Innes. He always was the dark horse after all
As for the book itself - because it’s remit is very focussed to the band through the prism of the BBC, Howlett really just has to place the extracts in historical context with very little room to waffle on into cliches or try and “shock” us by being contrary. No, all he has to do is explain what the situation for the interview is and then publish it
Because these are often verbatim, the book can at times be tough going - as to be expected when you’re reading the words of exhausted and very young musicians still obviously slightly in shock about their sudden world dominance. They can be very funny but also sometimes repeat themselves as you can expect. But it’s that reportage which makes the book so interesting, because it shows a lot more about the culture of the era than you would expect. The Beatles obviously are very fond of Alan Freeman and Brian Matthews, more relaxed around Kenny Everett and particularly open with their old school friend. They’re never anything less than polite but their varying tones in interviews very much gives an idea of society at the time
As, indeed, does the viewer comments. As a sociological record of the BBC trying to catch up with the sudden mass mobilisation of youth movements it’s fascinating, but so are the records of viewers trying to work out what the hell these hairy young men are doing on the radio and TV so much. Because these are not always fans, you get far more of a sense of a society trying to work out how this explosion of youth fits into their world view. It’s almost like Mass Observation
The other great thing about it is how often George Harrison must have squirrelled away minor moments of TV or Beatles interviews for the Rutles. I had no idea Ringo had wanted to be a hairdresser, so Barry Wom feels far more warm a portrait now. Similarly the press conference/ interviews about Epstein’s death are almost 90% the similar moments about Leggy Mountbatten. I love that George probably knew exactly the best moments to pass on to Idle and Innes. He always was the dark horse after all
November 16, 2014
This book is perfect. Well researched, and very readable.
Makes me want to buy all BBC bootlegs.
Makes me want to buy all BBC bootlegs.
March 2, 2025
This was an in-depth review of The Beatles' relationship with the BBC. I enjoyed learning about their plethora of appearances on the Beeb. I also found out when Paul brought Martha the sheepdog into his home. This book also drove home the incredible influence of Black artists on their music.
September 17, 2023
This in-depth account of The Beatles'BBC apperances featured interview transcripts, photographs of the group and previously unseen documents from archives. It was all seen and heard on the BBC
November 10, 2013
From the moment they came onto the scene, the Beatles captured our hearts, minds and souls. With their groundbreaking music, intelligent comments and undeniable good looks, we couldn’t help but be enthralled. We followed their progress all the way from small time band playing tiny clubs in Europe thru “Beatlemania” and right up to their final appearances when the end was near.
To read more of this review, please see:
http://www.examiner.com/review/a-revi...
To read more of this review, please see:
http://www.examiner.com/review/a-revi...
October 14, 2013
You can read my detailed review of the book on my website: http://rnrchemist.blogspot.com/2013/1...
Read
November 18, 2013Many interesting photos, schedules and memos from the time. Very interesting. Some great interviews also.
April 4, 2014
Fascinating insight into the early days of the band.
December 23, 2014
Fun book.
August 10, 2015
Some good interview transcriptions and tons of great photos. A beautiful physical object.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews